Orkarl Bellylaugh - Red Cow

[Erol of Backford]

"Couple Bellys" seems pretty cool. (His nickname is an inside joke about a college football lineman who played for Auburn and was in the Gator Bowl a long time ago. Huge guy with a big ole belly that shook when he laughed. A great guy.)

https://glorantha.fandom.com/wiki/Orkarl_Bellylaugh

Survived Runegate and has a brother named Shieldbreaker... since he survived Runegate, maybe he was also under the east gate which survived? Would love to know more about Mr. Shieldbreaker, likley he was very large, ate Royal Jelly 2-3 times and dabbled in trollball maybe?

If trade is established, exported Red Cows(?) and the PC's from Backford happen to be at Red Cow when the call to arms happens, they might be asked to fight for Sartar and follow "Couple Bellys" to Runegate?

Looking for ties between Heortland and Red Cow from 1600-1602 and beyond.

Trade as noted with the cows above is always there but since Mr. Bellylaugh has met and developed a relationship with with Mistress Sazdorf I am wanting to make a relationship with him and the PC's which leads into the Wooden Sword happenings at Sazdorf a bit later.

He was brought back to life with Kesta's Splendorbread, this is where the inquiry on the other thread came from.

It could be the PC's are tasked with getting the ingredients for the bread together either for themselves or a patron. 

I also noted a great troll bouncer at Red Cow who may introduce the PC's to trollball? (Likely the timing isn't the right year per canon Glorantha but who's to say he's not hanging around Red Cow in 1600, long before the Lunars have Erinala Goodale build the Inn?

Ties between Heortland and Red Cow-Jonstown... maybe they like Clearwine and so all 3 are linked in some sort of trade loop. Backford, Karse, Sun Dome, Clearwine, Jonstown, Wilmskirk? Not sure if they'd skip Boldhome or not.

Any creative, positive input is much appreciated!

Think of it, win a giant as a friend, long term friend honest friendship with promises to take him to meet Orta once again? Maybe he wants to travel and see the world with the PC's, likely he'd find a girlfriend in Balazar and would be forever grateful? The potential to recruit a great troll to be your trollball goalie is also a real win assuming no one has a anti troll geas!?

Edited June 24, 2023 by Erol of Backford

[hipsterinspace]

Since getting killed and brought back he’s become a Humakti, which means he isn’t much fun anymore, hence the change from Belly-Laugh to Ironbeard. At the time of the Red Cow campaign’s start, 1618, he’s a man in his early 60s and is said to be a quiet and brooding (but still well respected) thane of the clan. He’s terrified of dying in his bed, seeking find his death once again in the heat of battle.

Edited June 25, 2023 by hipsterinspace

[Yinkin]

The age given for his entry on page cannot be correct. In the section on previous chieftains it notes that he was chieftain of the Red Cow between 1578 and 1602, which is the longest lasting chief of all. And it also says that he was born in 1552 which means that in 1618 he is 64.

 

 

[Erol of Backford]

11 hours ago, hipsterinspace said:

At the time of the Red Cow campaign’s start

Sorry if I wasn't clear, not looking for items long before the printed campaign starts, looking for ties from 1600-1602 prior to the invasion so the PC's end up at Red Cow when the invasion occurs, are a sort of victim of circumstances and get drawn into the conflict as they like Orkarl and dislike Lunars.

I'm not so worried about his age, just connections between Red Cow, Heortland, Clearwine and Apple Lane, obvious items being cattle, smithling and beverages. 

There is such a good tie between the Red Cow and Sazdorf that leads into the Temple of the Wooden Sword... 

We'd have the PC's accompany Orkarl during the invasion up the time the Bat arrives at Runequest and escape from there with Orkarl, he's under the East Gate? We have not sorted out if they would continue with fighting against the Lunars in the invasion after that point or they flee south towards Esrola or the Heortland?

 

[hipsterinspace]

4 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

We have not sorted out if they would continue with fighting against the Lunars in the invasion after that point or they flee south towards Esrola or the Heortland?

Esrolia seems like the most interesting locale at the time, it still has a lot of intrigues happening with Lunar-aligned assassins (possibly in service to House Norinel) going around and killing members of the House of Sartar. Nochet is the largest Heortling city in the world (double the Heortling population of Boldhome, approaching 10% of Nochet’s population). There’s definitely a lot that can be done in the lead up to the Lunar invasion in that culminates with Belintar’s victory at the building wall.

Edited June 25, 2023 by hipsterinspace

[jajagappa]

4 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

just connections between Red Cow, Heortland, Clearwine and Apple Lane, obvious items being cattle, smithling and beverages. 

Don't forget the most obvious: marriages. 

When I ran my Orlmarth campaign, we had old lineages with ties to the Howling Wolf clan from the Blue Fox Hills, families that regularly intermarried with the Red Cow clan (particularly the Helering families), and the Hiordings near Apple Lane. Didn't necessarily require any more object-based connections, though knowledge clearly comes along.

[Erol of Backford]

3 hours ago, hipsterinspace said:

killing members of the House of Sartar

Yes this was discussed a bunch in several threads...

3 hours ago, hipsterinspace said:

There’s definitely a lot that can be done in the lead up to the Lunar invasion in that culminates with Belintar’s victory at the building wall.

It's a good midpoint, 1605 and then change of direction to Prax an Pavis... There's a scenario Beyond the Building Wall which could be modified to happen thereafter, I think it was in TotRM.... Thank you.

There are a few scenarios in Nochet that involve Lunar espionage of sorts to be integrated as well.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Erol of Backford

[mfbrandi]

14 hours ago, jajagappa said:

we had old lineages with ties to the Howling Wolf clan

And they will trade Molotov cocktails (of which they’ve a considerable surplus) for potable liquids.

Spoiler

Oh, I asked her for water, oh she brought me gasoline
Oh, I asked her for water, oh she brought me gasoline
That’s the troublingest woman, that I ever seen

— Chester Burnett

[Erol of Backford]

Anyone able to point out where is Black Glass Ruins are located in Red Cow lands?

[jajagappa]

4 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Anyone able to point out where is Black Glass Ruins are located in Red Cow lands?

Right in the center of this map from the Coming Storm book, p. 29.

[Erol of Backford]

10 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Right in the center

I looked at it in PDF several times assuming it was closer to Sazdorf, should have printed it!

Thanks again.